Everyone should find a copy of Fitna on line. I googled it and found it, watched the 16 minutes of this amazing documentary, and then sent it to as many friends as I dared with a caveat warning them of its power. It is a documentary showing the results of those who hate Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, women and gays. I have Moslems who have married into my family. They escaped from Iran and love America and hate the crazies who have highjacked their religion.

Actually research show that @ 1/3 of our students put up with the tactile means because they have to, they hate it; 2/3 of our students can live without it but play along ; and 1/3 require the tactile approach. We over kill. I love Meyers Briggs typology for education - for intra personal relationships, one of the best ways to understand our kids, families and ourselves. (and our colleagues)

I agree - and add the calculator and the idea that is is beneath us to memorize our multiplication tables.

I need to see the list of skills which were on the test. How many of them were those which an elementary teacher needs to cover and how many of them - if any - were ones for math majors? Also, what was the format of the test? Was it word problems? Essay: Ex. how would you prepare a lesson to teach the 3's times table? Who made up the test? What were their goals? What info was given to the teachers so that they knew what they needed to study. Math is complex: that is why some of us are English majors and some are math majors.

I think one thing Bush did right was to convene a 2 year study of how math is taught in our schools. The committee report came out last year. I loved it. It pointed out that the National Council Teachers of Math made a huge mistake when it decided that basic skills: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division did NOT require memorization since our kids could use technology - a calculator. Oops. The other point from the committee was that we often overdo theory in place of practice. As Director of Adult Education in my district, I have seen first hand the results of the NCTM mistakes. Our students seeking their GED know the higher thinking skills required by math but fall down because they lack the ability to multiply without a calculator. The NCTM has recently changed their position and now advocate memorization. We also study Singapore math which advocates a balance between theory and practice - with more stress on practice - memorization. I read articles about how our students fail in comparison to other countries and ask why aren't the comparative differences in the systems also discussed. Other countries divide their students at an early age so that some receive practical skills and others work on more academic skills. Not all students finish the same number of years - less academic students in Germany, for example, may finish after grade 10, others grade 11 and those going to university to grade 12. Working with ESL students gives me a chance to discuss how math is taught in their countries. They don't spend hours trying to understand the theory behind multiplication until they have memorized their times tables 1 - 12! They do what we know works - especially we who support UConn women basketball - practice skills over and over again. Yet there are some in education who tell us that kids have to prove they can do 5 examples and then they should be moved on to another skill. Common sense tells us that is pure bunk but it has been taught. I find my GED students have difficulties with per cents, decimals and fractions - all related concepts. They are amazed when we give them a chart which states 25% is equal to .25 is equal to 1/4th. They have been so bogged down with theory application that they have no idea of the practical applications.

I urge readers to locate and read the No Child Left Behind Math study. It is on line and that is where I first read the 89 pages. It is just so wonderful. I'd make it required reading for all math professors in colleges everywhere, and then to all high school students, and then to all teachers 1 - 12, and then to all politicians, and then to all pundits who come out with policies which have destroyed education. I am still trembling from the whole language fiasco. We shouldn't have these trends in education be given such power over we teachers who have the experience and common sense to do what we think is working well.

What O'Reily should have said - Rush got hooked on a med his doctor gave him, a med now known for its addictiveness. He should have said Obama - in his book - claimed that he regretted his drug use while in college- drugs bought from the neighborhood pusher. You can't compare the two situations. My nephew's wife - a sweet 32 year old has had her life destroyed by Oxycon - from a back injury. She cannot get off them in spite of several tries. Her family has been destroyed as well. Rush was not to blame for his drug use - Obama certainly had the choice to take his first snort.

I was offended by Fagin's being played as being Jewish. I didn't remember that from the book - neither did my friends. I consider this anti-Semitism rather than anti-Christian. As a member of the Judeo-Christian faith, I was thoroughly offended and tried to make my opinion known to PBS. I agree with the Merchant of Venice allusion - but remember the great number of years between the play and the novel. Spall did say he tried to "freshen" his portrayal of the role.